Thursday, November 10, 2016

You Are Not Alone

There have been protests in dozens of major cities, especially last night, after the presidential election outcome. One benefit of the protests is the message of solidarity with the many people left feeling shocked, depressed, dismayed, rejected, or fearful after the election outcome. It is one thing to hear that you are not alone. It is another to see thousands of people in the street.

If you sense danger in the situation, it is not your imagination. You did not imagine Trump suggesting that protesters might be shot and killed or that writers could be locked up if they disagreed. You did not imagine the campaign statements about women who were victims of violence, saying that the victims should “get over it” and in some cases, change jobs. Nor did you imagine the millions of votes for Trump by people who agreed with these sentiments. It might seem like a bad dream, but all this really happened. If you woke up yesterday feeling like your country is against you for wanting to do the most simple things like get up and go to work, many of the facts justify that feeling.

It is important, though, not to fall into the pattern of viewing the world or the country as essentially hostile or the related trap of thinking that your own efforts don’t count for anything. Seeing other people’s efforts that align with your own helps you find hope in your own efforts.

And then there is my own story. My recent work depends on consumers feeling comfortable with making major purchases. With uncertainty in the air and a recession on the way, by next year I could find myself essentially unemployed along with most of the people I work with.

The election is just another in a long series of blows to the U.S. middle class, but there are also those lke me who will suffer individual losses as a result of the election outcome. There are people who will watch a family member die after health coverage is canceled. People are afraid they will see their parents deported. Gay couples are afraid their marriages will be canceled. People have reported handwritten death threats. If you search online or ask around there are millions of stories of people in trouble in the aftermath of this election. Yours is not the only one. In truth, everyone has lost something of importance, even if many of us do not realize it yet.